Third Beat
by Anubis Monori
Summary: When Relena's in trouble, who is going to come to her rescue? Chapter 7 is finally up!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. Plain and simple. I'd normally have some witty remark to add here but I really don't feel like putting one in. Maybe later.

--

Relena sat back in her chair, smiling. "The food was wonderful, Pagan. Don't you agree?"

"I think yours was overcooked, for starters," the old man replied. "I wish you had let me make you lunch at home."

"It was just right, and everyone deserves a break. Even you." At this point, their waiter came up. "Umm… how-how was your lunch?"

"Wonderful. Give my compliments to the chef." Pagan just nodded silently. "Could we have the check now?"

The waiter rushed through his response. "There's no need for you to pay, your food is on the house. After all, we don't get someone as prestigious as Relena Darlian here every day." He picked up their plates faster than Relena thought could be possible, but his hands were shaking so much he nearly dropped them. He left the table, forcing himself not to run. "Well, are you ready, Miss Relena?" Pagan asked.

Relena used her napkin to wipe her lips one last time. "Yes. Let's go."

They stepped outside and both frowned. It had started raining while they were inside, and lightning and thunder had soon followed. Pagan gestured to a bench under the building's awning. "Here, Miss Relena, sit down. I'll bring the car around and pick you up."

Relena sat down, a bit relieved that she wouldn't have to run through the storm. "Thank you, Pagan." He nodded and ran off.

Another waiter saw Relena sitting and walked out to her. "Hello, Miss Relena," he nearly shouted. "My name is Charles. I noticed how… odd your waiter acted today. I thought I should apologize for him. We hope that this won't stop you from coming here again." He sounded much calmer than the first waiter.

Relena shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'd love-" She was cut off by the sound of an explosion. She stood immediately, looking around the parking lot. The rain couldn't douse the fire where her pink limousine once sat. "Pagan…? Pagan!" Ignoring the weather, Relena ran towards the fire. However, she was wearing heels and the ground was slippery from the rain. She stumbled and fell, dirtying her white dress. Charles was right behind her and helped her up. "Miss Relena, please try to stay calm. Someone's calling-"

"Get off of me!" Relena cried. She pushed him away and continued running. Once she made it to the car she tried to open the driver's side door. She burned her hand on the handle. Thinking quickly, Relena tore off a piece of her dress and used it as padding to get the door open. Pagan's body fell out into her arms. She had to pull him away from the car so that he wouldn't be burned any more than he already was. His face was so badly burned that it was hardly recognizable. She felt for a pulse; there was none.

Charles was once again behind Relena. He kneeled down and put a hand softly on her shoulder as she cradled Pagan's head in her arms. They stayed that way until the ambulance came.

The paramedics calmly took Pagan's body and put it on a stretcher. One checked her watch. "Time of death… 1:17 pm. Let's go, Ross." The two paramedics lifted the stretcher into the ambulance, closed the doors, and moved to the front. They soon started it up and drove away, leaving Relena and Charles standing in the rain.

Charles took Relena's hand and she immediately fell into his arms. "Oh, Heero…"

Charles paused a moment before asking, "Who's Heero?" Relena pulled away, blushing slightly. "Oh, um… no one important." He wasn't satisfied, but simply replied, "Okay."

"Anyway, I can't stay. I still have an appointment to make."

"What, you mean a doctor's appointment?"

"No. I came from the Peacecraft castle. A park is being set up outside of New Port City in Heero Yuy's memory. I'm going to be speaking there."

"You can't be serious! That bomb was obviously meant for you!"

"If I ran away every time my life was threatened, I wouldn't be here. I'm still going. I can't let whoever did this think they can scare me off." Relena pulled her cell phone out of her purse, frowning slightly. "Now, do you know the number for the local cab service? I don't have time to wait around for another limousine; I figure taxis will come sooner."

"There is no way someone like you is going to ride in a taxi," Charles responded.

"There is nothing wrong-"

"I'll take you. My car is right over there."

"I don't want to take you away from your job. I doubt your shift is ending now."

"The manager is my brother. I'm not worried about it."

"This is all very kind, but I've taken help from strangers before, and it never ends well."

"But we aren't strangers. You know me. I'm Charles, a waiter at this fine establishment."

Relena managed to smile. It seemed this man was just as stubborn as she was. "Alright, let's go. Where did you say your car was?"

Charles returned her smile. "Right this way, Miss Relena." He helped Relena to his car and opened the door for her. He then quickly ran around and got into the driver's seat. As he started the car, he looked over to the restaurant. Relena followed his gaze and saw another man standing at the window. Charles smiled and waved, but the other man did neither in return. Charles just shook his head and started driving. "That's my brother."

Relena frowned. "I thought you said he was okay with this."

"Oh, he's got other things to worry about." For a moment his smile disappeared, a rather grim look in its place. Just as quickly, though, he seemed to calm down. "Well, Miss Relena Darlian. You were once known as Queen Relena, right?"

Relena looked away. She didn't like being reminded of the unhappier times in her life. "Yes. And please, just call me Relena."

"I always found it fascinating." Charles noticed how confused Relena looked and elaborated. "I mean, Romefeller built so many Mobile Suits for the Alliance and OZ, even developed that Mobile Doll system, and yet so many of its members supported your beliefs of disarmament to bring about total pacifism. You must be as talented as Heero Yuy."

Relena's eyes lit up at the name, but the moment passed as she realized he meant the real Heero Yuy, the man who was assassinated in A.C. 175 after uniting all of the colonies under the ideals of total pacifism. "You're too kind. He was able to unite all of the colonies. I can only hope to be able to do the things he did for the people. That's why I'm speaking today."

"And I'm looking forward to it. I thought I'd just be seeing your face in the news tonight. I'm a bit excited to be coming to see you in person!" Charles remembered how he got the opportunity. "I… I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Relena tried to smile but there was still some sadness in her voice. "So, Charles, how long have you been at the restaurant?"

"About two, three years. I started right after high school. My father died a year ago and my older brother took over. I'm constantly reminded of how 'privileged' I am to still be working there. He owns the place and instead of putting me, his blood, as a manager, he chose his fiancée. She reports to him every time I drop a napkin."

Relena put a hand on Charles' shoulder. "I'm sure things will improve soon."

"Yeah, I hope so. Maybe he'll finally see that she's the spawn of Satan!" He laughed for a moment, then paused. "Sorry. I shouldn't be complaining about all of this to you. You've got enough on your mind."

"Don't worry. You can stop apologizing for everything, too."

"Well… thanks for listening." Charles suddenly slowed down the car. "You know, if you want to put this on hold for a couple of days-"

"No, it's fine. Like I said, I'm not going to let anyone think they can scare me. Besides, the park is just up ahead."

A public park was officially being dedicated to (the real) Heero Yuy. Although he was the leader of the colonies, many people on Earth considered him a hero and even a martyr. The quietness and general peacefulness of nature seemed appropriate, and having another advocate of total pacifism speak there showed that people were truly ready to head down the path towards peace.

Charles drove up and parked by the biggest entrance into the park. Already people had noticed Relena was inside his car. Cameras started flashing and reporters from several news stations and magazines were crowding around it. Charles looked over at her. "All ready, Relena?"

She smiled. "Yes, definitely." Without hesitating, she opened the door and stepped out. She was immediately barraged with cameras, microphones, and reporters. However, none of their questions were about the park.

"Miss Relena, is it true that you were nearly killed earlier today?"

"Miss Relena, didn't your driver recently die in a car bomb? Is that why you're with this man now?"

"Miss Relena, are you still going to speak today considering everything that's happened?"

_How did they find out about this so soon? _Relena frowned._ Someone at the restaurant must have called…_ As she thought about it, Charles came over and put an arm around her protectively. "She'll answer all of your questions later. Please, just stop bugging her!" He led her past the crowd into the park, leaving behind the reporters who were still shouting.

Police were inside the entrance trying to keep the order as best they could. As Charles and Relena walked further into the park, the noise eventually died down until the only thing they could hear was the current speaker. "…and among the more rare species of plants we have is what's called the 'Black Mimosa'. It grows wild in Brazil and Mexico. You'll notice the short trunk and gorgeous black leaves…" The woman looked up and noticed that Relena had arrived. "…I'm sure we can finish this up later, as Miss Relena Darlian has come to officially dedicate the park to Heero Yuy. Miss Relena, would you like to say a few words?" The woman gestured to the spot where she was standing, in front of the crowd.

Upon hearing her name, the crowd started applauding. Relena smiled. This was the whole reason she was here, of course she would speak to them today. Every pair of eyes followed her as she walked up to the front. Though keeping a smile on her own face, the other woman leaned over and whispered, "Um… Miss Relena, are you sure you want to do this now? I mean, you look…"

"I'm okay, and am ready to proceed." Relena turned her attention to the crowd. "Heero Yuy was a great man who lived and died fighting for the belief that people must throw down their weapons and learn to coexist with one another. These beliefs were shared on Earth with my father and myself. I am very glad that all Mobile Suits have been destroyed and that we are finally heading down a path towards peace. I'm sure Heero Yuy would be as well if he were still with us.

"Before I continue, I'd like to say a few words... Now, I'm sure you all can see how I look, and many of you have heard rumors about my driver." Relena paused, taking a breath before she continued. "Earlier today, my driver, Pagan, was killed in a car bomb. I believe it was meant for me, and I want to say something to the people who set this up. You may think you can scare me off with a… stunt like this, but-" At this point, Relena heard what she thought was a firecracker. _What?_

"Miss Relena!" A man pushed Relena aside. She felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder as she hit the ground. People all around her were screaming. Just before she closed her eyes, she saw Charles running up to her.

--

Relena slowly opened her eyes. She was lying in a bed and a machine was beeping loudly in her ear. A man dressed in white was standing over her writing something on a clipboard. He looked at her and smiled. "So, you're finally awake."

"Where… where am…"

"You're in the hospital. You were shot three days ago. We've removed the bullet, but you should stay here at least one more night so we can make sure you're okay."

"Okay… that sounds good." Relena still felt so weak she couldn't even sit up. There was no need for her to rush out of here. She slowly turned her head towards a window. The hospital was right on the water, and she could see a pier with several boats docked. She thought she saw movement, but dismissed it as the waves.

Before she could say anything, the doctor asked, "So, do you feel up for having some company? The man who brought you in hasn't left the hospital since then."

She smiled. "Yes. I'd love to see him."

"Alright, I'll go get him." The doctor stepped out of the room. Relena could hear him say something, but couldn't make out the words. Almost immediately the door opened and Charles entered. He closed the door behind him. "How are you feeling, Miss… sorry, Relena?"

Relena nodded. "Fine. I still feel so weak. What about the man-"

"Who shot you? He was taken care of. I wish I could have come in earlier; two guys are standing at the door. No one was allowed in."

"I'm glad you're here now."

Charles smiled. "Me too…" He walked over and looked through the nearby cabinets. He pulled out a washcloth, wet it at the sink, and walked back to Relena. "Seems like the doctors didn't do a good job of cleaning you up." Charles rubbed the wet washcloth over Relena's forehead. "You're so hard to kill…" He suddenly shoved the cloth into her mouth and plugged her nose.

Relena's screams were muffled by the washcloth. She tried to move, tried to get Charles away from her, but she didn't have enough energy. "If only you'd died in that damn bomb I wouldn't have to be doing all of this." The beeping next to her became faster and Relena realized it must be monitoring her pulse. Charles noticed it and calmly switched it off. "By the time anybody realizes, you'll already be dead."

They both suddenly heard a man grunt in pain. "Hey, st-" the other said, but he was cut off. Another person roughly opened the door and Relena's eyes widened. _Heero…!_

"Well, I have to thank you. I was worried about everyone hearing a gun go off, but you've taken care of the guards for me." Charles used his free hand to pull out a gun. Before he could raise it, Heero kicked over a chair and knocked him down. The gun fell out of his hands and skidded over by the sink.

Charles jumped up and both he and Heero ran for the gun. Heero got to it first but Charles tackled him. They rolled around on the floor, both trying to get the gun, when it went off. Heero pushed Charles' body off of him and stood up. He immediately went over to Relena and started to pull out the IVs. "It's not safe. I'm getting you out of here."

Relena was so happy to see Heero she didn't protest. He scooped her into his arms right at the time the doctor ran in. He looked over at the body before yelling, "Security!"

Heero looked around and spied the window. He ran with Relena in his arms and turned with his back to it, pushing it open. He then jumped out of the window and ran towards the pier. "I've got a boat waiting. You won't be staying in the Sanc Kingdom for awhile."

Before she could ask where they were going, Relena heard another familiar voice. "Hey Heero! What took you so long?"

Behind her, Relena heard someone shout, "There they are! You! Stop!" Heero glanced behind him and then shouted back, "Get the boat going, Duo. We've got to get out of here."

"Can do!" Duo jumped onto the boat. As Heero carried Relena aboard, he started the engine. "Hold on tight!" The boat sped off, leaving behind the hospital and people chasing them.

Heero pushed open a door and walked down into the lower level of the boat. There were a couple of couches and a television. Another door was closed, probably leading to the bathroom. He gently laid Relena down on one of the couches and sat next to her. "You feeling okay?"

Relena smiled. "I'm good, now." The last thing she remembered before falling back to sleep was Heero's hand gently on her forehead.


	2. Chapter 2

Duo folded his arms and leaned against the doorway. "How's she doing?"

Heero didn't look up. "She doesn't have a fever, but there is a little blood from where the IVs were. There should be some bandages in the shelf over that couch. Get me some."

Duo rolled his eyes. "Well, yes sir." He opened the shelf and grabbed the pack. He threw it over to Heero, who easily caught it with one hand. "Thanks." He pulled the sleeve up on Relena's hospital gown. A little blood had dripped out, but there was no major problem. Heero quickly bandaged up her arm and stood up. Relena stirred a bit; the smile slowly disappeared from her face, but she stayed asleep.

Heero turned to Duo. "Where do you want to go from here?"

"Well, Hilde and I have a place in the colonies. You guys could-" Duo was cut off by the sound of gunfire. The boat rocked heavily. "What the hell?"

Both men ran up to the deck. Five jet skis had surrounded the boat. As Duo ran to the controls, one pulled up beside him. "You have something we want. Give the girl to us and you won't get hurt. We might even forgive you for killing one of our own."

Duo pretended to think for a moment, then said, "Hm. Here's your answer!" He turned the boat and swiftly rammed into the side of the jet ski. The man yelled out, trying to regain control. "Get them!"

All five drivers grabbed their guns and opened fire. Duo swerved back and forth, trying to take as few hits as possible. "Hey, Heero. There's a trunk behind me. I think you might find the contents useful."

Heero ran over, avoiding the gunfire and opened it. Inside was a handheld rocket launcher. "How did you get this?"

"Heh. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff people throw away these days. Working in a scrapyard has its benefits. There are ten there, just in case."

"I'll only need five." Heero picked it and a rocket up and loaded it. He aimed at the man behind the boat and fired. He tried to swerve, but the rocket hit the back of it. The jet ski exploded and the man screamed out as he fell into the water. Heero calmly loaded it again and looked around. The one who had tried to 'negotiate' was still at the side. Like everyone else, he carried a gun and was firing at Duo. Heero fired at him next. The driver was so focused on trying to kill Duo he didn't even see the rocket coming.

Heero loaded it again and walked to the other side of the boat. Another jet ski was on this side. The driver seemed to have trouble focusing on shooting and keeping his ski along side the boat without crashing into it. Heero shot off another rocket, and this man was so panicked he didn't think of trying to avoid it.

At this time Relena groggily stepped out onto the deck. "Heero, what's going on…?"

Heero ran to her. "Relena, get down!" She dropped to the ground and he covered her from the shrapnel that came from his latest victim. Heero stood first and helped Relena up. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay. Looks like you've saved me again, Heero." She smiled.

Heero looked over. There were still two jet skis, both at the front of the boat and firing back. "You'll be safer below deck. Get back down there. I'll come after I take care of these guys."

"Okay… and Heero. Thank you."

Even though he was heading to the bow, Heero still looked back at her. They both paused, eyes locked. "…You can thank me when you're safe." He headed to the bow and immediately shot off another rocket. This one hit the jet ski dead on.

"One left." Heero loaded his last rocket and took aim. This driver realized that it was Heero, not Duo, who posed the biggest problem. He turned his gun at Heero and opened fire. Heero jumped to the side to avoid the shots.

"I don't think so!" Duo sped up and rammed the last jet ski in the back. The driver struggled to regain control and Heero took his opportunity. The rocket hit him, and Duo turned to keep his boat from hitting what was left.

Heero returned the rocket launcher to its place and stood. "Stay up here for now. I don't know if we'll have more company."

Duo nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. Besides, I don't want to come between you and Relena."

Heero didn't even acknowledge Duo's last comment and headed back down. Relena was sitting on the couch. "Now can I thank you?"

He sat down next to her. "Don't worry about it. Besides, I don't think we're in the clear yet."

Relena leaned against Heero. "I'm not worried. You're here now." He just looked away, and she swore his face was a little red.

Heero suddenly stood. "I'm sure you're getting tired of that hospital gown. Before Duo and I came to get you we grabbed some clothes. There's a bedroom and bathroom behind that door, you should get changed."

Relena nodded. "Okay." She opened the door and walked through, closing it behind her. Sure enough, this led into something that resembled a bedroom. There was a bed, a small table with a lamp next to it, and… nothing else. A door to the other side of the bed was open, which led to a bathroom just as simple: a toilet, sink, and shower. _Well, I shouldn't expect much on a small boat like this._

Relena found the pile of clothes sitting on the bed. She quickly changed and walked back out. "Heero, I think…" Her voice trailed off. The first room was empty again. She walked up to the deck of the boat to find both Heero and Duo. Duo was sitting at the controls, looking rather bored. Heero was sitting on one side, staring at the water. Relena kneeled down next to him. "Heero?"

He turned to face her. "Yeah?"

"Don't you think these clothes are a bit… baggy?" She had on a shirt that fell below her waist and a pair of jeans that only revealed the soles of the sneakers she wore.

"I know. We won't be here forever, and when we get off, I don't want anyone to recognize you."

"Where are we going?"

"The safest place for you right now…" Heero looked up at the sky. "…space."

Relena followed his gaze up. She didn't like the idea, but it seemed like someone was trying very hard to kill her. _I suppose there isn't much of a choice._

"Hey lovebirds!" Both Heero and Relena turned to Duo, who had stepped down from the controls. "As much as I'd hate to break up such a lovely moment between you two, we'll be reaching the dock in less than five minutes."

Heero stood up and turned to Relena. "Wait here for a moment." He disappeared down the stairs for a moment, and then returned holding a cap and sunglasses. "I doubt you'd cut your hair, so you should put it up and wear the hat. The sunglasses as well."

"Can't be too careful, right Heero?"

He handed her both objects. "I don't want you getting hurt."

Relena smiled. As she was putting up her hair the boat came to a stop. She quickly put on the hat and went with Heero to the dock. Duo was tying up the boat so they could safely get off. "Okay, we're set. Just get off and follow me."

Heero was the first to leave. He jumped off and easily landed on the dock. He then turned and held out a hand to Relena. She took it and carefully stepped off. While her first foot made it safely, her second got caught under the dock and she fell. Heero was right there to catch her. He pulled Relena up and she simply looked at him. They stayed there for a moment, her in his arms. He pulled away, saying, "We should get going."

"Okay." The dock was right next to an airport, and they followed Duo as he went down a runway. A shuttle sat there. From afar it looked abandoned, but as they got closer, Relena saw two figures standing next to it. She immediately recognized them.

Duo was the first to speak. "Sally! Wufei! I didn't think we'd be getting a personal escort today."

Sally Po crossed her arms. "You know, Duo, it's the funniest thing. You said Lady Une signed off on this, but when I talked to her about getting a shuttle, she had no idea about your little operation."

"Oops. Did I forget to tell her? Heero, I thought you were going to remind me!"

"Don't get me involved in this. You were the one who suggested we go into space."

"Oh, come on man, where are your loyalties these days?"

"You know," Sally interrupted, "if you had actually talked to her, Lady Une wouldn't have had any problems with you guys leaving."

"Yeah, well, she's so busy with everything right now, I figured, why bother?"

"Yes, she's so busy protecting important people who are in trouble. Like the President of the Earth Sphere, or Relena Darlian."

Wufei spoke up. "As much fun as this reunion is getting, we should hurry up and board. I'm sure the people after Relena haven't stopped following you yet."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry. Should anyone search the boat, I left them a nice surprise." As if on cue, there was an explosion at the docks. Everyone turned around and saw Duo's boat in flames. Several people were running away, screaming. "Well, I guess we'd better board."

Relena and Heero entered first, followed by Duo. Sally and Wufei looked around before getting in. It only took a minute for everyone to strap in and the shuttle was off, headed to space.

As they cleared the Earth, Duo looked back to Heero and Relena. Heero had leaned back in his chair, asleep, and Relena was looking out the window. "Hey, Relena… I just realized something. Since you're gone, who's gonna be in charge of the Sanc Kingdom?"

"There's nothing to worry about. Should anything happen to me, I've left Dorothy in charge."

"What?!"

"She is a very kind person."

"Yeah, if you get past the whole lust for battles thing. Quatre's told me about her."

"I know that she's changed since the war, and I have no reason not to believe in her now. Unless my brother comes back, she is the chief representative of the Sanc Kingdom."

"Okay, if you say so…"

Relena turned back to her window. She'd flown between the colonies and Earth numerous amount of times. Although she didn't always look forward to those trips, she could never forget how beautiful the Earth looked from space.

Relena yawned. She'd slept once after waking up in the hospital, and even then it had been interrupted by the next attempt on her life. _I suppose Earth is becoming too dangerous for me right now… but who would try this hard to kill me?_ There were still people apprehensive about peace promised by the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, but killing one person wouldn't change anything. It seemed like this was personal, which worried her even more.

Heero stirred a bit, and Relena looked over at him. _No matter what happens, he will be here to protect me,_ she thought happily. She yawned again. There was still time to get a little rest before the shuttle landed. She leaned against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"_I'd love-" She was cut off by the sound of an explosion. She stood immediately, looking around the parking lot. The rain couldn't douse the fire where her pink limousine once sat. "Pagan…? Pagan!"_

…

"_You know, if you want to put this on hold for a couple of days-"_

"_No, it's fine. Like I said, I'm not going to let anyone think they can scare me. Besides, the park is just up ahead."_

…

"_Miss Relena, are you still going to speak today considering everything that's happened?"_

_Charles came over and put an arm around her protectively. "She'll answer all of your questions later. Please, just stop bugging her!" He led her past the crowd into the park, leaving behind the reporters who were still shouting._

…

"_You're so hard to kill…"_

"_If only you'd died in that damn bomb I wouldn't have to-"_

"Relena! Relena!" Relena woke up. Heero was shaking her and Duo and Wufei were standing next to her. "What…?"

"You were screaming," Heero answered hurriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It was just a bad dream." Heero let go of Relena, but no one around her said anything. "Seriously, I'll be okay."

"Wufei, we're about to enter the colony," Sally called out from the cockpit.

"I'm coming." Wufei turned and headed back to her. "You guys should probably strap in."

"Right." Duo looked back at Relena as he sat down at his seat. He tried to smile. "You know, you had us worried there for a minute. Even Heero."

"Hm," was the only reply Heero gave. He fastened himself in and was about to fold his arms when Relena grabbed his hand. He looked over at her, surprised. She was close to tears and held on to his hand tightly. Before either could say anything, their shuttle hit the ground and began rolling to a stop.

Heero pulled away from her grasp and reached down under his chair. He pulled out the pair of sunglasses. "I held onto these. You'll need them." As he placed them over Relena's eyes, he wiped away her tears.


	3. Chapter 3

Sally stepped out of the cockpit. "The airport's going to be crowded. Relena, you'll need to move through the people as quickly as possible without drawing attention. Wufei and I will be staying onboard, but we've arranged for someone to pick you up."

"We won't be too far," Wufei added. "Une wants us up here until we can figure out who's behind the attacks."

Heero stood. "That's fine with me. Are you ready Relena?"

Relena took a breath, trying to calm herself, before standing up. "Yes. Let's go."

Duo was the last to stand up. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going. See ya guys!"

All three stepped off of the shuttle into the airport terminal. _Saying that the airport would be 'crowded' is an understatement,_ Relena thought. Heero's arm was around her, helping her through the airport. Relena would've welcomed the help without a second thought but it only reminded her of how Charles reacted when they reached the park.

Duo was practically pushing people aside to get through, and Heero glared at anyone who even tried to make eye contact with Relena. Heero suddenly stopped, and Duo and Relena looked at him. "I need to use the bathroom. Keep going, I'll meet you outside."

"Whatever." Duo took Relena's hand and they continued through the airport. After what seemed like miles to her, they finally walked through the main doors. The sun was shining and there was a cool breeze out. Of course, the weather conditions were controlled by the colony, but it felt refreshing nonetheless.

"Duo!" Their 'ride' ran towards the group.

"Hey, Hilde!" She hugged him and he picked her up, spinning her around. At this point, Heero walked outside and over to Relena.

"Hey, Duo, guess what!" Hilde was practically jumping up and down.

"What?"

"Come on, guess!"

"I don't know… did you win the lottery or something?"

"No! Remember that time we went to the circus? That same troupe is coming back! I heard they'll be touring throughout the colony for the next couple of weeks!"

"Heh, think it was just a coincidence, Heero?"

"Of course not."

"Isn't it great, Duo? You'll get to see your friend again!"

Duo smiled. "Yeah, it is great. Right now, we'd better get going… uh… where's the car?"

"I sold it!"

"You did what?!"

"Another car came in that was so much better! I got it fixed up and sold the old car to cover the repairs. It's right here!" Hilde pointed to a violet-colored four-door sedan.

"You've got to be kidding me…"

Heero walked past Duo and opened up one of the back doors. "We can't stay here. There are too many people around."

Relena nodded. "You're right Heero." She turned to Duo and Hilde. "Shall we?"

"Sure." Duo still didn't sound too thrilled about driving a purple car, but got in the driver's seat anyway. Relena went in the door Heero had opened for her. Once everyone had strapped in, Duo started driving.

"I have to say, the disguise is pretty simple, but I still didn't recognize you, Relena."

Relena took off the sunglasses and smiled. "Thank you, Hilde. That's very reassuring."

Hilde returned the smile. "Now, our place is by a scrapyard. You don't have to worry though, it doesn't smell as bad as you might think. It is a bit small, but we have an extra bedroom and-"

"Thanks for the offer, but Relena and I will be staying in a hotel."

Duo looked at Heero through the rearview mirror. "What? You can trust us, can't you? Besides, how are you going to pay for a hotel room?"

"Ivan Hurwitz will be paying for us." Heero held up a credit card with a smirk.

"Well, it's interesting to know I'm not the only one good at pickpocketing around here anyway. So, how long do you think that will last?"

"This bank is still small. It only has branches here in this colony and the account can only be accessed from here. By the looks of his bags, he won't be coming back for awhile and I'm sure he has other accounts elsewhere."

"Wait, how do you know… you know what? I don't think I want to know."

"I'm not sure how long it will last, but we won't be staying with you."

"And why turn down my generous offer?"

"It's bad enough that four of the former Gundam pilots are going to be gathered on one colony. I don't think any of them should stay together for too long. Besides, I'm sure Quatre will find some reason to come here. I heard that the Maganac Corps started a construction business to help rebuild Quatre's colony, they'll probably come here for 'work' soon."

Hilde cut in. "You can at least stay for dinner, though. I went shopping yesterday. I got plenty of food, and I got you two some clothes and supplies. What do you say?"

Heero looked over at Relena. "You want to?"

Relena was a bit surprised that he asked her. "Of course. It sounds great. What are we having?"

Hilde smiled. "I'm making everyone some rice balls and some sesame chicken for us. Plus, I got a surprise for the guys."

Duo's eyes lit up. "A surprise! What is it?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

--

Duo triumphantly pulled a package out of the refrigerator. "Steaks!" He practically threw the meat on the counter and grabbed Hilde to hug her, kissing her on the cheek. She giggled. "You're welcome, Duo." She then turned to Heero and Relena. "I got you guys a bunch of clothes and put everything in the extra bedroom. It's through the door over there." She pointed.

Relena nodded. "Thank you so much for everything, Hilde." She followed Heero into the room. There were a few empty suitcases on the floor as well as bags of toiletries. On the bed was an assortment of clothes for both of them.

Heero picked up a shirt and looked at it. "You can go change in the-" Relena ran up and hugged him. She was in tears. "Heero… I'm scared. These people are coming after me. Only me. I've been forced away from Earth, away from duties, simply because people who haven't even revealed themselves yet will do anything to see me dead." By the end she was sobbing.

Heero dropped the shirt and returned her hug. "Relena, I promised I would protect you," he said firmly. "I will find out who's doing this, and I will stop them. You'll be home soon, I promise."

Though his words comforted her, Relena still couldn't stop crying. "I need you, Heero. At this point, I'd be dead without you. You won't leave me, will you?"

Heero put his hands on her cheeks and brought her face up to his. "I'm not going to leave you. Now, let's get changed and have some dinner." He looked straight into her eyes. "Okay?"

Tears were still streaming down Relena's face, but she managed to nod and say, "Okay."

"Alright. Stay here and get changed, I'll go to the bathroom." Heero grabbed a set of clothes and walked out, closing the door behind him. He went to the bathroom, quickly changed, and went back to the bedroom door. He knocked. "You can come in."

As Heero walked in the door Relena was standing at a dresser, looking in a mirror. She had changed into a skirt and a button-down shirt. She held an earring in her hand, and although she had stopped crying, her face was still red. She turned to Heero and smiled. "Hilde got these for me. What do you think?"

"They're beautiful." His voice didn't have as much emotion as Relena would have liked, but she knew he wasn't exactly the romantic type. Still, she smiled. "I thought so too."

"You can go ahead to the kitchen; I need to make a phone call."

Relena sat down on the bed. "I'll wait."

Heero just nodded. He picked up a phone by the bed and dialed some numbers. "Hello? …Yes, my name is Ivan Hurwitz. I need to book a room…. Two people, my wife and I…. I don't really have any preference on rooms, do you?" Heero turned to Relena. She shook her head, smiling. "No preference…. I'm not sure how long we'll be staying…. Fine, book a week and if we need to stay longer we can pay later…. That's fine…. Thanks." He hung up the phone. "We'll be all set."

"Your wife? Any reason I'm not your sister, or cousin, or friend?"

"We don't look that much alike. I think it would be hard to convince people we're siblings." He opened the door and left.

Relena smiled. _That didn't answer my question completely._ She stood and followed him.

Hilde turned from the stove and looked at them. "You guys look great! If you're looking for Duo, he's outside on the grill. Everything in here will be done shortly."

Heero stepped outside. Duo was standing over the grill, wearing an apron and had tongs in his hand. Both steaks were cooking. "The grillmaster has struck again, leaving his two victims helplessly pinned to the ground. The only question now is how long they have to live…"

"Hey, grillmaster." Duo turned around, a look of horror on his face. "How is everything coming along?"

"Uh… well… that depends on how you want yours cooked. Of course, knowing you, we should've brought the cow and let you kill it, so you could eat the meat right there." Duo laughed.

"You're wearing an apron and talking to a couple of steaks, and yet you're making fun of me?"

"Hey, come on, it was just a little joke." Heero walked up to the grill. He picked one up with his bare hands, looked at the bottom, and then put it on the plate next to him. "I'll take this one."

Duo just stood by, dumbfounded. "After all this time, I finally have proof that you're not human." He used the tongs to inspect the other steak and added to the plate. After turning off the grill, he picked up the plate. "Well, let's go ahead and go inside."

As Duo opened the door, Hilde was just setting down the plate of rice balls. Relena had placed the last fork at the fourth chair and looked up. "Everything is ready in here, the steaks are done?"

Heero turned to Duo. "Yeah, the gril-"

"Everything's all set. Let's eat!" Duo put both steaks at his and Heero's plates and then went into the kitchen. He set it in the sink and then rummaged through some cabinets. "Somewhere in here… alright!" He returned with four cups and a bottle. "I decided we could break out the good stuff tonight!"

"Duo, is that sake?" Hilde asked. "You're not old enough to drink, how did you…"

"Well, some things are better bartered than sold. Now, who wants some?"

Hilde looked at Relena. "I think we both will have just water." Relena nodded.

"Okay, Heero. Don't tell me I have to drink alone."

"…Fine. Pour me a drink."

"That's more like it!"

The next half hour was spent eating, drinking, and talking. Everyone reminisced about the years past and talked about things that had happened with their lives. Between the food and spending time with friends, Relena was able to forget about her troubles, at least for that half hour.

"…Duo had to practically beg him to get that power converter! You wouldn't believe all of the favors he promised to do. Even-"

"Hey! I got it, didn't I?" Duo took another drink. He filled his cup and offered the bottle to Heero. "Another?"

"Of course!" Duo poured, but Heero put his cup down and grabbed the bottle. He started drinking straight from it, ignoring Duo's protests. "Hey! Come on!" He grabbed it from Heero and started drinking himself. They both paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Hilde shook her head and turned to Relena. "Want to help with the plates?" Relena nodded, smiling. They both took the plates. Heero and Duo didn't even notice. Hilde walked into the kitchen, put everything down, and then looked back into the dining room. "Well, it seems all it takes is a little alcohol to loosen Heero up."

"Damnit!"

"Ha! I drink!"

Relena looked back at them as well. "I guess so. Here, let me help with the dishes."

"No way! You're a guest here. Go back in, sit… actually, I'll wash, you dry."

With the water running, neither woman could hear what was going on in the next room. When Hilde and Relena finished, they returned to find both Heero and Duo passed out on the table, cups still in hand. The bottle had fallen onto the floor, broken, but there was no liquid to spill out.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised." Hilde walked over to Duo. She started to shake him. "Duo. Duo! Come on, wake up!"

Duo opened his eyes groggily. "Well, hello there beautiful."

Hilde rolled her eyes. "Hang on a second." Hilde grabbed her glass. "Here, drink some water." Duo reached for it but wasn't able to get his hand around the glass. The water spilled all over Hilde and Duo laughed. Hilde sighed. "I should put him to bed. See what you can do for Heero."

As Hilde helped Duo stand up, Relena sat down next to Heero. She ran her fingers through his hair. "Heero? You need to wake up."

Heero stirred and looked up at her. "Relena…" He took her hand in his and stared at her. "I…"

Relena put a finger on his lips. "You've been drinking far too much. We should get to the hotel so you can rest."

Heero managed to nod. "I need to drink-"

"No more drinking for you."

"No, it's… a… um…"

"I think I know what he means." Relena turned to Hilde. "It's a special little drink I've had to make Duo more than once. Hold on a second, I'll mix it up." Hilde walked into the kitchen, leaving Relena and Heero alone again.

"Relena… I need…"

"I know Heero, Hilde is taking care of it."

"No… not that, I…"

"What? What is it, Heero?"

"All finished!" Hilde walked next to Heero and produced a glass. "You might want to hold your nose for it."

Relena nearly gagged. "What's in that drink?"

"If you two knew, he wouldn't take it."

Without hesitating, Heero grabbed it and quickly drank it down. He set down the glass and coughed. Hilde patted his back. "It should clear your head, at least. I'll still drive you down to the hotel. Now, I can get Heero into the car, you pack everything that you need."

"Thank you." Relena walked back to the bedroom and put a suitcase on the bed. _Heero… what was it? What did you need?_ He wasn't in any state to talk, at least coherently, so she decided to ask about it in the morning.

Relena quickly packed everything up and walked back out. She decided to check on Duo one last time. He was lying in bed, deep under the covers, and snoring rather loudly. She closed the door again and smiled. Somehow, his behavior tonight didn't surprise her.

Relena walked outside just as Hilde was closing Heero's door. "Oh, Relena. You can put everything in the trunk." She ran around and opened it.

"Thank you, Hilde." Relena lifted both suitcases into the trunk. "For everything today."

"It's not a problem at all." They both got in the car and Hilde started driving. Her smile disappeared after a minute. "Are you two going to be okay?"

Relena nodded. "I think so. I know that Heero will take care of me, and it's good that everyone else will be here."

"This is a serious problem. Do you have any idea as to who it is?"

"I don't. That's the worst part of this ordeal. I believe that if these people haven't come out and announced who they are by now, it will be hard to find out who exactly they are." She smiled. "But I know Heero can do it. I trust him."

"You know, if you need anything at all, Duo and I are here for you. Anytime, any day, just call us."

"Thank you. I appreciate it. I have to warn you, though; we may take you up on that offer many times before this is over… however unwilling Heero will be."

Hilde laughed as she pulled up to the hotel. "Just let me know."

Relena and Hilde got out of the car, and Relena opened up Heero's door. He held up the credit card. "This is Ivan's. You should check us in."

Relena nodded and took it. "I'll do that. Let Hilde help you out."

Heero leaned back and nodded. Satisfied, Relena went to the trunk. Hilde was taking out the first suitcase. "I'll take care of this, Hilde. Just help out Heero."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'll be fine."

"Okay." Hilde set it down and walked back over to Heero. Relena took the suitcases and closed the trunk. As she walked into the hotel, Hilde was helping Heero inside. She walked up to the front desk and set down the suitcases. She handed the man behind it the card. "Ivan Hurwitz."

"And you are…?"

"I'm his… wife."

"What about that other woman?"

"She's just helping him in."

"Okay… anyway, here's your key. You're on the first floor."

"Thank you." Relena took both cards, picked up the suitcases, and led Hilde and Heero to their room. She opened the door and walked in, setting down the suitcases. Just inside was a small hallway with the bathroom to the left. There was only one room; in it were two beds, two end tables, and a television on a table opposite of the beds. A small refrigerator sat next to it.

Hilde took Heero over to a bed and sat him down. "Are you two going to be okay?"

Relena walked over to her. "Yes, we'll be fine. Again, thank you."

"Not a problem. Call us sometime!" With that, Hilde left the room and closed the door behind her.

Heero pulled off his shirt and shoes and lay down on the bed. "We should get some sleep."

Relena nodded. "Good idea." She took off her hat and shoes and followed suit. She lay there, silently for a moment. She didn't feel comfortable, she felt… alone, vulnerable. She sat back up. "Heero?"

"Yeah?"

"Can… can I sleep with you?"

Heero turned to her and noticed how worried she looked. "Sure."

Relena smiled and moved over to his bed. She lie facing his back and slowly put an arm around his waist. He didn't stir, so she closed her eyes. _This feels… better._


	4. Chapter 4

Heero woke up to find Relena's arm draped across his chest. At first he wasn't sure what to do, but carefully lifted it off of him and stepped out of the bed. He looked over at the clock. _8:14_.

Heero walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet. He splashed some water on his face and looked up at himself in the mirror. He still had a headache from the night before.

"How did you sleep?" Heero turned to the voice. Relena was standing in the doorway. "Fine. What about you?"

Relena smiled. "Just fine."

"Good."

Relena walked to Heero and placed her hand on his. "Heero, last night you-" She was cut off by a knock at the door.

"Stay here. I don't want anyone seeing you." Heero walked over to the door. "Who is it?"

"Management. Your credit card is expired. Unless you have some sort of other payment, you'll have to leave by noon."

"Duo, you don't do a good job of masking your voice." Heero opened the door and Duo practically burst through, carrying a plastic bag in each hand. "Come on. You weren't worried for at least a second?"

"No."

Duo sighed. "Fine. Hey, where's Relena?"

Relena stepped out of the bathroom. "Right here."

"That's good. Now, I brought you guys some supplies." Duo dumped the contents of the bags on the bed Heero and Relena had been sleeping on. "Some more clothes, food and drinks… I even got more sake!" He proudly showed the bottle to Heero.

"Keep that stuff away from me."

"Oh, sure. I know you enjoyed yourself last night." Without waiting for a response, Duo rummaged through everything and pulled out a laptop. "I also got this for you. It should work… at least; the guy who sold it to me said it will."

Heero took the laptop from Duo. "Thanks." He walked over to the other bed and sat down, immediately turning it on.

"Thank you Duo." Relena meanwhile took the food and began putting it all in the fridge.

"What are friends for, right? Unfortunately, that's not all. Have you guys turned on the news?"

"Not yet," Relena replied. "We just woke up."

Duo jumped on the now empty bed, grabbed the remote, and turned on the television. He switched channels until he found a network showing the news.

"… luckily, no one was injured in the fire. In other news, police forces in New Port City need your help. A couple of days ago, a man broke into the hospital where Vice Foreign Minister Darlian was recovering from a gunshot. He kidnapped Miss Darlian and we believe he fled to space. One of the doctors talked to a sketch artist and every colony has been asked to show the picture." The anchor held up a picture that looked almost exactly like Heero. "If anyone has seen this man, please contact your local police force. He is considered armed and dangerous. Now, for last night's game, let's turn to-"

Duo turned off the television. "As soon as I heard about it I got a hold of Wufei. This isn't something they can just brush under the rug. You killed someone, after all."

"Heero, what are we going to do? You can't just turn yourself in."

"I'm not…. I guess we'll both be staying inside for awhile. Duo, I need you to be my eyes out there."

"I figured that." Duo threw Heero a cell phone. "That has my number. Call me whenever you need something."

"I do. I need you to talk to Trowa. Let him know what's going on. And find out where Quatre is. I get the feeling we're all going to be involved in this before it's finished."

"Right. I'll take care of it. You two just lay low."

Heero nodded. Duo got up and walked out, stopping at the door. "I'll come back later today." With that, he left and closed the door behind him.

Relena sat down on the bed next to Heero. "What should we do now?"

"We'll be staying in this room. I trust Duo; he can take care of us. Right now I need to get that police report and find out what they know."

Relena leaned against Heero and watched as he began typing.

--

"Wow! I'm amazed that you were able to get tickets on the first day!" Hilde exclaimed. "This place is so crowded."

"Hey, it helps to know people," Duo bragged.

"Look! Your friend is coming out! Trowa, right? Man, this act should be amazing!"

"Yeah. It'll definitely be one to remember…"

The lights came up showing Trowa and Catherine. A different spotlight followed both of them. Trowa stepped up on a platform and jumped, spinning. While he was in midair, Catherine threw three knives at him. He landed on a tightrope and revealed each knife: caught by the blade between his fingers. The crowd started clapping and cheering, but suddenly everyone gasped. Trowa had tossed all three knives and caught them in one hand, then 'slipped' off the tightrope. At the last second, he grabbed on with his free hand. He started rocking back and forth, eventually spinning around by his hand on the tightrope until he launched himself back into the air. He landed gracefully back on it with just one foot. He then dropped all the knives back to the ground. With her back to him, Catherine caught one and threw it at a nearby target before repeating. Each knife hit the bulls-eye. The crowd stood and cheered as both performers bowed.

"Wow! Those two are so amazing! I can't believe they did all of that!" Hilde had jumped up with everyone else.

"That's our show, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming out today." The lights over the stage darkened and people began filing out, talking excitedly about the show.

Hilde and Duo both made their way through the crowd and outside. "Hilde, I think you should go ahead and wait in the car. I need to talk to someone."

"Trowa? Yeah, I understand. Take your time."

Duo walked around the tents to where Trowa sat down outside. This time Wufei was with him. "Great show today. Hilde and I really enjoyed it."

"Thanks. We've been working on that act for awhile… but, I get the feeling you didn't come just to congratulate me."

Duo sat down in a chair next to Wufei. "Yeah. This is about Heero and Relena."

"Are they with you?" Wufei asked.

"No. Heero got a hotel room for them both."

"What?! How could you let them go? What if something happens?"

"Hey, calm down. Heero insisted. I'm sure he can take care of her."

Trowa spoke up. "I'm sure you all saw the news this morning." Both Duo and Wufei nodded. "I guess they'll be holed up there for awhile."

"Yeah. That's why Heero sent me along to talk to you guys."

"The problem is that he killed a man," Wufei said. "We could say that he took Relena to protect her, but we can't prove that he didn't want to harm her without her coming out and saying it. And right now, we need to keep her hidden. We just can't do anything."

"You and Sally couldn't talk to anyone?" Duo asked. "Say that they're safe and Heero was protecting Relena."

"Then the entire Preventers organization would be accused of conspiring with a kidnapper and murderer. That wouldn't go over well with anyone in the Earth Sphere. Our hands are tied. The only way to drop this would be for Relena to come out and explain, and we just can't risk anyone finding her."

Duo sat back in his chair. "Well, four of us are here on the colony. Any word from Quatre?"

"I talked to him yesterday," Trowa answered. "A hospital is being built near here, and he and the Maganacs graciously offered their assistance, free of charge. He put one of his sisters in charge of the estate while he's gone; I think her name is Jade."

"How long are you going to be here?"

"My troupe is staying for ten days. You can thank Catherine for getting us here in the first place."

Wufei stood. "I hope we can take care of this in ten days. Sally didn't come with me. She's back at the headquarters we have in this colony, talking to Une down on Earth. I'll fill her in with everything. I know Heero wouldn't stay with you, but I don't suppose you can convince him to hide out with us for the time being."

Duo shook his head. "I doubt it."

"Thought so. I'll see you guys later." With that, Wufei walked away.

"What do you think about this?" Duo asked Trowa.

"I don't like it. But when it comes to Relena, there's no use trying to change Heero's mind about anything."

"I know. I just get the feeling that this whole plan is going to turn around and bite him in the ass."

"Trowa!" Catherine called out. "I made everyone some sandwiches!" She walked out to him. "Oh, I didn't realize your friend was here. Do you want one?"

Duo shook his head. "As much as I love free food, Hilde is waiting for me." He turned to Trowa. "I'll be going to Quatre next. Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah. Got some paper?"

"I don't know…" Duo stood up and checked his pockets. He pulled out a receipt and a pen. "Glad I got extra food for them this morning."

Trowa also stood and wrote quickly on the paper before handing it back to Duo. "That's the address where they will be staying, and that's the address of the future hospital."

"Thanks. Well, I guess I'll see you later."

"See you."

"Bye!"

"Take care, Cathy."

Duo walked back to the car. Hilde was leaning against it, looking up at the sky. She heard him coming and looked at him. "Did you talk to your friend?"

"Yeah. I'll drop you off at home before I go out again."

"Aw, I can't come with you?"

"No disrespect, Hilde, but the less you know about this, the better."

Hilde frowned. "Okay."

--

"Five stories? We'll need more time!"

"Look, I'm just telling you what the governor told me. I can talk to him again, but I won't make any promises."

Quatre looked over at Rashid. "I guess you better tell everyone our days are going to be longer. I'll be over in a moment."

"Hey Quatre!" He turned to the voice. "Duo! I was hoping I could see you while we were here!"

"Want to take a lunch break?"

"It's 4:30 in the afternoon, Duo."

"We really need to talk, though."

Quatre turned to Rashid. "I'm sorry, but I should go. I'll be back in half an hour, at the latest."

"Of course, Master Quatre. Take your time."

Quatre walked over to Duo. "Where do you want to go?"

"There's a diner around the corner."

"Sounds good." He paused. "So, is there any reason you're driving a purple car now?"

Duo sighed and opened his door. "Don't get me started. Let's just go."

Quatre smiled and got in. They buckled up and Duo started driving. "I'm guessing you didn't agree to work on this hospital only out of the goodness of your heart."

"No, everyone's heard about Relena. How is she doing?"

"Fine. She's with Heero."

"Then I'm not worried. He'll take care of her."

"Yeah, but did you see the news this morning?"

"Of course. We all did. I was hoping to keep it from everyone else, but the rest of the Corps didn't have trouble figuring out why I really wanted to come. I didn't want to hide it from them, but…"

"We both know that the less people who know about this the better. I know those guys won't tell, but we've got to keep this as quiet as possible."

"Rashid understood that. Some of the others are still a bit hurt."

"Yeah…" Duo pulled into a parking spot. "This is the place."

Duo and Quatre both got out and walked into the diner. There were only a few other patrons around, so they got a table right by the door. Their waitress came by a moment later, holding menus. "So, what can I get you boys to drink?"

"I'll just be having coffee. I don't think I have time to eat," Quatre said politely.

"Alright. How about you, hon?"

"I'll have the same thing."

"Coming right up." She winked at them before walking off.

"Hey, I think she likes you."

"Don't start, Duo."

"I'll bet you ten bucks she puts her number on the check."

"Even if I was interested in her, you know I wouldn't have time to casually date right now."

"Oh, so you are interested."

Quatre's face turned red. "I didn't say that."

Before Duo could reply, the waitress returned with two cups and a pot. She poured them both a cup of coffee and left the pot there, sticking the check under it. Both guys reached for the check. Duo got to it first. "Let's see here…"

"I can pay, Duo."

"Hey, I'm just taking a friend out for a little chat. It's my treat… and look at this! Her name is Melissa, and-"

Quatre took it away from him and looked at the back. It was blank. "That's not funny."

"Alright, alright." Duo added some sugar to his coffee before taking a sip. "In all seriousness, what do you want to do about Relena?"

"She's with Heero, right? Where are they staying?"

"Some hotel near my place."

"Do you think staying in such a public place is a good idea?"

"Hey, don't ask me. Heero insisted. He said it would be better if we all weren't staying under one roof. He thinks it's bad enough all five of us are on the same colony."

Quatre took a sip. "He may be right. But if anyone can put everything together, they'll be searching for him. I just don't think a hotel is a good idea."

"You could come with me and try explaining that to him," Duo joked.

Quatre smiled. "I couldn't exactly do it today. What about that picture in the news?"

"I talked to Wufei. There's nothing the Preventers can do by themselves. Relena would have to come out and explain it away, and that's out of the question."

"Yeah… so, all we can do now is protect Heero."

"Yup. But, I know where he's staying, and I'll be checking in every day."

"Good. And don't tell anyone, even Trowa, Wufei, and I. Like I said, if anyone pieces this together, we'll all be followed."

"You're right."

Quatre checked his watch. "On that note, we should get going. I don't want to be away from the site for too long."

Duo nodded. "Okay. Where's the check?"

Quatre held it up, grinning. "I've still got it, so I'll be paying."

"Hey, I was the one to take you out!"

Quatre sighed. "Come on, Duo, let's not fight about something so trivial. Shall we split it?"

Duo shrugged. "Sounds good to me." They both put some money down on the table and walked out.

Quatre held the door open for a man behind him. He wore a dark business suit and glasses, and held a newspaper under his arm. "Thank you."

"Not a problem." Duo and Quatre got in the car and drove off. The man silently watched them go.

--

Heero looked at the computer screen. "The guy's name was Charles Irving."

"Irving? I recognize that name."

"You should. His father was a part of the Romefeller Foundation."

"What? …That's right. He was one of the men who immediately agreed with my ideals. He was ready to throw down their weapons. Why would his son be after me?"

"You said his brother owns a restaurant. A better question would be why is he working at a restaurant? I'm sure his father passed on a nice inheritance."

"Charles said his father owned it… but I don't think he'd be a part of Romefeller and work in a restaurant in his spare time. He must have lied to me."

"Well, his brother owns it now, right? I get the feeling there's more to it than just a place to eat. We'll have to check it out."

Just then there was a knock at the door. "Hey, Heero. I got some more stuff for you two."

Relena went and opened the door. This time Duo only had one plastic bag; a microwave was in his other hand. "I figure you won't want your eggs raw."

"Thank you again, Duo."

"No problem. I can't stay, though. Hilde's expecting me. See you guys tomorrow!" With that, Duo was back out the door.

"I guess we should have waited to have dinner." Heero didn't reply. Relena went and sat down next to him on the bed. "Come on, Heero. You've been at this all day, take a break."

Heero paused. He closed everything and turned off the computer. "Alright. What would you like to do? We don't have many options."

"Let's watch a movie!" Relena grabbed the remote and turned on the television. She flipped through the channels until she came across a movie that was already halfway over. It was a typical romance movie: a woman was being held hostage and the hero burst in and saved her.

Heero shook his head and went into the bathroom. After a moment, Relena heard a flush and then running water. She turned her attention back to the end of the movie. The two lovers kissed and the screen faded to black. She turned television off and smiled. _It would be nice if he acted that way…_

Heero stepped out of the bathroom and took off his shirt. "We should probably get to bed. I'm sure you're tired and-" Relena took in a breath and stood, cutting him off. She walked over to him and gazed into his eyes. "Heero…"

"Huh? What-" He couldn't get out another word before Relena leaned up and kissed him. He hesitated for a moment, then fiercely returned the kiss. They quickly made their way towards the closer bed.


	5. Author's Note

Okay, I've spent time between classes in the library re-organizing things on my site and, more importantly to y'all, writing up the next chapter. While I wrote chapter 5, I also wrote up the lemon. Since FF seems to be cracking down on lemons, I decided to put this part of the chapter on AFF. For some reason, I can't directly link to the page, so I had to get a bit creative.

anime2.adultfanfiction(dot)net/story.php?no(equals)600021590


	6. Chapter 5

Relena woke up in the bed, alone. Heero was nowhere to be found. _He must be in the bathroom._ She pulled on a pair of panties and one of the oversized shirts before checking. The light was on and the door was open, so she walked in.

Heero stood over the counter, staring into the sink. He was dressed only in his boxers. "That… that shouldn't have happened…"

Relena paused. "But it did." He didn't reply. "Heero, I don't regret what we did. Any of it."

"We shouldn't be-" Heero was cut off as Relena put her hand on his. "Last night you said you loved me," she said. "Is it true?"

"I…" There was a knock at the door. "I need to get that." Heero slowly slipped his hand from under hers.

Relena looked away from Heero for the first time. "Fine."

Heero went to the door. "Yeah?"

"Hey, it's Duo."

"Just a second." Heero went back to the bed and grabbed his pants, putting them on before he opened the door. "What is it?"

Duo walked in. "I figured we needed to talk again. But first, I heard about something as I came in this morning. Dorothy's holding a press conference. It's supposed to start in…" Duo checked his watch. "…about two minutes."

Relena had stepped out of the bathroom once Duo entered. "I need to watch that. I have to see how Dorothy is doing." Heero just nodded.

"Well, then let's turn on the TV." Duo jumped onto one bed and happened to look over at the other. The sheets that hadn't been kicked aside were terribly wrinkled. Pillows were on the floor along with several articles of clothing. He looked up and noticed how little Heero and Relena were wearing. "Well, I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

Heero sat down on the other bed. "Shut up, Duo."

"Hey, your business is your own…"

Before Heero could reply, Relena turned on the television and then sat down next to him. He was clearly uncomfortable but didn't try moving away from her.

"…and now Miss Catalonia is stepping up to the platform."

Dorothy walked up and faced the cameras. Several microphones could be seen just above the bottom part of the screen; all were pointed at her. She cleared her throat before starting. "In the event of an emergency, Miss Relena Darlian decided that I should be the person to take her place. I do wish I never would have gotten this opportunity. With the recent attempts on her life, I hope that her kidnapper is at least keeping her from harm." At this point Duo looked over at Heero, who glared back. "Miss Relena, if you're watching this, I promise to continue your work for as long as you are gone. I know I'd never have as much influence as you do, but I promise things will run here just as smoothly as it did before you were gone. I think I speak for everyone when I say I'm looking forward to your safe return.

"I'll take your questions now." At least ten voices began shouting at Dorothy. She pointed to one reporter in particular and they all died down. "Go ahead."

"Miss Catalonia, yesterday the police released a sketch of the man believed to have taken Relena Darlian. Do you recognize him?"

"Do you have a copy?" He handed Dorothy a copy of the picture. She looked over it and then held it up for the camera. "Of course I do. We've met a few times. I can even tell you his name." She smiled.

Heero clenched his fists. "What?"

"Dorothy… no…"

"His name is Frederick Thompson. Last I heard he was heading to the Moon. You should start checking there."

Heero took the remote and turned off the television. Relena breathed a sigh of relief. "Even from Earth I knew Dorothy could help us."

Heero stood and rummaged through his pockets. He pulled out a wallet and tossed it into the trash. "I won't be needing Ivan's stuff anymore."

"Plus you can get out of this place," Duo added. "You know, the hotel has a free breakfast buffet every morning…"

"Sounds better than the breakfast we had yesterday," Heero replied. Relena smiled.

"Great! You… get dressed… and I'll meet you there." Duo quickly left, closing the door behind him.

Heero and Relena stayed silent for a moment. He turned to her. "I can bring you something back if you'd like."

Relena was shocked. _How could he even suggest something like that?_ "Heero, why couldn't I come down with you?"

"We both know it's too dangerous. If anyone notices you-"

"You weren't the only one stuck in here yesterday, Heero. I want to come with you."

"You can't. You can't risk being seen."

"I'll put my hair up, wear the clothes; no one will recognize me. I'm coming with you." She turned and walked towards the bathroom.

"No! I don't want you to go."

Relena whipped around. "Why not?"

"Because, I… I don't want you to get hurt."

"Heero…" Relena walked over to Heero and put her arms around him. She leaned against him. "I won't get hurt. You'll be there to protect me."

Heero stood there, not moving. "…Okay," he finally relented.

Relena smiled. "Then let's clean up, get dressed, and we'll go."

--

Duo looked up from his bagel. Heero and Relena sat down with plates of food. He wore a green sleeveless top and jeans; she wore another set of baggy clothes, along with the hat and sunglasses. "Hey, that was fast. I hope it wasn't that way last-"

"Duo, I'm holding a knife."

"I'm just teasing, jeez." He turned to Relena. "Was it Heero who suggested wearing the sunglasses indoors? A little conspicuous, in my opinion. Where is that thing…?" Duo rummaged through his pockets until he successfully pulled out a glasses case. "Here! Hilde bought this for you yesterday."

Relena took the case and opened it. Inside was, unsurprisingly, a pair of glasses. She took off the sunglasses and replaced them with the new pair. "Okay. How do I look?"

Duo glanced over to Heero. "What do you think?"

Heero looked at Relena. "I like it. Thank Hilde for me."

"What? Is there something with the glasses?"

Duo took them from Relena and put them on. "Notice anything?"

She smiled. "Your eyes are green."

He gave them back to her. "As long as people see your eyes through those lenses, they will look green. It's simple, but it works."

"And this means we won't have to be cooped up in the hotel room all day. Right, Heero?"

"Yeah," he simply replied.

Relena drank the last of her coffee and put the cup down. "Good. It will be nice to get some fresh air."

"First thing's first," Duo said. "I gotta take you over to the Preventers. Lady Une wants to know everything we know. It'll be a bit of a trip, but that's the safest place to call her from."

"I'm ready to leave any time. Are you ready, Heero?"

Heero poured syrup on the last piece of his pancake before putting it into his mouth. He stood and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Let's go."

--

Sally and Wufei were there to greet them as Heero, Duo, and Relena stepped out of the violet sedan. "Relena, it's good to see you," Sally said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Relena responded.

"Yeah, Heero's been taking very good care of her," Duo added. Relena looked away blushing while Heero glared at Duo. Sally and Wufei looked at each other, confused. "Whatever," Wufei finally said. "Let's get inside. Une's been bugging us about you, she's rather anxious to hear from you."

Relena cleared her throat and stepped forward. "I'm looking forward to talking to her as well. Let's go."

Sally held the door open for everyone before stepping in herself. She pulled the door shut and a whirring and clicking sound followed. "The door has an automatic lock. Just for security purposes," she explained.

Wufei led the group further into the building until finally they came to what would be best described as a 'control room'. Several men and women sat at computers placed around the room. They all faced one particular wall; on it was a huge screen, which was currently black. On the opposite wall there was a step up to a larger computer with a couple of chairs around it. Wufei and Sally sat down and began pressing buttons. The other three stood behind, watching them work.

Soon Lady Une's face appeared on the large screen. "Yes, what is…? Miss Relena! It's good to finally see you. How are you doing?"

Relena smiled. "Everything is fine. After all, I have the best protection available." She took Heero's hand in hers and looked at him. He looked away; it seemed he was forcing himself not to react. "Duo and Hilde have also helped out so much."

"That's good to hear."

"How is Dorothy doing?"

"She put most of your meetings on hold, only going to those with pressing issues. Dorothy's handling herself quite well, considering that she had to start running a country on short notice."

"I knew she could do it. I just hope I can be back soon."

Just then there was a knock at Lady Une's door. "Just a moment!" She looked back down. "I have to go. I don't want anyone finding out where you are right now."

Relena nodded. "I understand."

"Alright. Lady Une out." The knocking got louder at her end. Just before she cut the line, she yelled, "I said hold on, damnit!"

Wufei leaned back in his chair. "She's been stressed out ever since Heero 'kidnapped' you." He turned to him. "Have you figured out anything about the guys who've been attacking?"

Heero shook his head. "Not much. All I know is that the owner of the restaurant that Relena ate at belongs to the son of a Romefeller member."

"Some rich aristocrat had a family business on the side? What a waste of time."

"I get the feeling that there's more to it than a place to eat, but I'll need to do more digging."

Sally cut in. "Just make sure you report back to us whatever you find. If we need to shut it down, I'd like to do so before Relena returns to Earth."

Heero nodded. "Fine."

The sound of a stomach growling interrupted the conversation. Everyone looked over at Duo. "Speaking of restaurants," he began, "I'm feeling a bit famished. Let's grab a bite to eat. Wanna join us, Wu-man?"

"No," he replied shortly. "And don't call me that."

Sally rolled her eyes. "We have things to take care of here. Stay safe, Relena."

Relena looked over at Heero again. "I'm not worried."

"Yeah. Let's get going."

The three went back outside and stopped by Duo's car. "Well, what are you in the mood for, Duo?" Relena asked.

"Hm… well, Chinese sounds good. Although, I could go for a burger… and I can't remember the last time I had pasta…"

Relena laughed. "I guess we'll need to go to a buffet!"

"How about a mall instead?" Heero suggested. "There should be a food court, as well as an electronics store somewhere inside. I need to pick up a couple more things."

"What about the fact that Relena will be in such a crowded place?"

Heero sighed. "I could go later. Take-out, then?"

"Wait," Relena said. "If the hat, glasses, and baggy clothes are working well enough, then why not go out?"

"It's not safe. There will be more people there than at the hotel this morning."

"You think I don't know that, Heero?" Relena walked up to him and stared right into his eyes. "I know you're concerned, but neither of us want to stay in that hotel all afternoon again. We'll go out for a little while, have some food, you can get what you need, and then we'll go back. Okay?"

Heero paused. "One condition."

"Of course…"

"Do you know sign language?"

"Yes, they teach it at the school, why?"

"You'll have to pretend to be deaf. People will probably be able to recognize your voice."

"Do you know sign language, Heero?"

"I can read lips."

Relena smiled. She stepped back, mouthing and signing, 'I'm ready when you are.'

"All right, let's go!" Duo opened the door and jumped into the car. Relena walked to her door, but before she could touch it, Heero grabbed the handle and opened it for her. Relena looked at him. Of course, by the look on his face it seemed that this was a common courtesy he would do for any woman, but she knew better. She kissed him on the cheek, whispered a "thank you", and got in the car. Heero said nothing as he closed her door and then got in.

--

The group walked into the mall. It was incredibly crowded. The only thing worse than the sea of people moving around was the fact that their voices drowned out any possibility of a normal conversation. "Duo, you can go on ahead," Heero shouted. "We have something to take care of." Relena looked at Heero, surprised. _What is he talking about?_

"There isn't much I need," Duo yelled back. "Want to meet in the food court in… half an hour?"

"Sounds fine. Let's go."

Relena mouthed and signed the word 'Okay.'

Duo headed off into a random direction while Heero led Relena through the mass of people. He held her hand, but it seemed to be just so that he wouldn't lose her. They finally entered a jewelry store and the noise died down a bit.

A clerk behind the counter looked up as they entered. "Well, hello there. What can I help you with today?"

Heero took Relena's arm in his as he walked up to the counter. "My wife and I have a slight problem." She looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. "Our wedding rings were stolen last night, and I'd like to buy some for now until we can get home and get them replaced."

"That's so terrible! I have just the thing over here." As the clerk turned his back, Relena whispered to Heero, "Wedding rings?"

"We are married, aren't we?" he replied. "Married couples usually wear rings." Relena bit her lip and smiled.

"Okay, I think you two should check out what I've got over here," the clerk called out to them. The 'couple' walked over to the case and looked at the assortment of rings. Relena pointed to one excitedly and almost forgot that she couldn't speak. 'That one! It's beautiful!'

"I think it's lovely too, dear," Heero said. He smiled, trying to cover the fact that his response still didn't have a lot of emotion in it. He looked over and noticed how puzzled the clerk looked. "My wife is deaf."

"Ah. I understand. Now, which one would you like, sir?"

Relena held onto Heero's hand as he looked over the selection. _It's so sad. He's been through so much, and is still struggling to recover his humanity._ "This one looks good. What do you think?" Relena looked over at the ring he was holding. She nodded happily, not even paying attention to it.

"Very good choice! I'll 'ring' these up for you." The man laughed as he went back to the register. Heero pulled out a credit card and paid for the rings. He slipped his on and took Relena's hand, putting her ring on her finger. She kissed him, disregarding whatever reaction he might have. Instead of immediately pulling away, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. Once they broke the kiss, Relena noticed an old man on a television behind Heero. 'Turn it up! That's the President of the Earth Sphere!'

Heero turned around. "Turn the TV up, would you?" The clerk grabbed a remote and hit a button. "…I just wanted to say that I have received some wonderful news from Lady Une of the Preventers organization. An anonymous tip came in earlier today, stating that Vice Foreign Minister Darlian is safe and sound! We're still not sure where she is, but the Preventers are working around the clock to find her. Lady Une, would you like to say a few words?"

Lady Une was standing behind him, her mouth open in shock. She quickly recovered and stepped up to the microphone. "Um, well… I didn't think this would be released to the public so soon, but yes, I've heard from a reliable source that Miss Darlian is… safe and sound."

"Lady Une! Lady Une! Do you know where she is right now?"

"Unfortunately, my source couldn't tell me."

"And who is this source of yours?"

"This person is an undercover agent, and I wouldn't want to break my source's cover. I apologize, but I have to get back to work."

The clerk watched, interested. "Hm. Well, isn't that something?" He turned to Heero and Relena, but they were already leaving the shop. Once again, Heero was holding onto Relena as they moved through the crowds of people. "We need to find Duo and get out of here," he shouted. "I want to know what the hell just happened."

They quickly found the food court. Duo was sitting at a table, reaching into a container of fries. He had a plastic bag on the floor next to him. He looked up and saw Heero and Relena. "Hey, that was fast. What did you-"

"There's no time. We need to leave. Now."

"Huh? Did somebody recognize… her?"

"Have you seen a television recently?"

"No, why?"

"The President just announced to all of Earth and space that Relena Darlian is 'safe and sound'. I want to know how he found out."

"Damn! Did he say where we are?"

"Luckily, no. I'm sure Lady Une has to report to him, but I'd like to know why she decided to include that piece of information. Let's go."

"Right." Duo grabbed his bag and the three made their way through the mob one last time. At this point, Heero shoved aside anyone who was in his way, and Duo ended up apologizing to all of them as he ran to keep up.

Everyone finally burst through the mall doors. Instead of taking a moment to appreciate the change in scenery, they all ran to Duo's car. As they jumped in the car, Duo tossed the bag in the backseat next to Heero. "I guess Hilde will have to wait a little while longer for the book," Duo muttered as he started the car. In a flash they were out of the parking lot and heading down the highway.


	7. Chapter 6

Duo sped down the highway, moving in and out of traffic. "Damnit, Duo, can't you go any faster?" Heero asked.

"No! People are already getting pissed at me as it is." Every time Duo sped up and cut someone off, they either honked their horn or put their hand out of the window and flicked him off.

"Heero, please try to calm down," Relena said. "Lady Une isn't going anywhere, and she has nothing else to say to the President about us right now. It doesn't matter when we get back."

"Relena, I don't–" Heero was cut off by the sound of a siren. He looked behind him and saw a police car chasing them. "Duo! You sped right past a cop?"

Before Duo could reply, Relena spoke up. "Enough! Pull over. You keep running and how many officers do you think will join this one?"

"You better get down and hide," Duo said as he pulled onto the shoulder and stopped. The officer drove up behind them and stopped his car. He got out and walked over to Duo, who rolled down his window. "There a problem, officer?" he asked innocently.

"Sir, do you know how fast you were going?"

"Well–" Much to his and Heero's horror, Relena calmly stepped out of the car. "Excuse me."

"What do you want?" Relena took off her hat and the glasses. The cop just stared at her. "Vi-Vice Foreign Minister Darlian!" He turned to Duo, hand on his gun. "Out of the car, now!"

"Stop." He looked back up at Relena. "These men have not kidnapped me. I am working with the Preventers to stop a criminal organization here on this colony. Unfortunately, I cannot talk about it. All I can say is that I need to stay undercover; if my cover is blown, I will die. There's no question about it. Do you want that?"

"Of-of course not."

"Good. Now, go back into your car and let's forget about this whole mess. And remember," the cop turned back to Relena. "Tell no one."

"Your secret is safe with me, Vice Foreign Minister." As he went to his car, Relena put on the glasses and hat. She got into Duo's car just as the cop drove back into traffic. "Geez. If you were gonna go that far, why lie?" Duo asked.

"If I had told him the truth, we'd have the entire police force following us all of the time." Relena looked back at Heero. "Heero?"

"What?"

"You don't trust him, do you?"

"We could have taken care of it without you revealing yourself to him."

"You shouldn't worry about it."

Heero folded his arms, looking away. "Let's just get going."

Duo pulled back onto the highway and continued driving. It took about half an hour to get back to the Preventers. No one said anything for the rest of the trip. Once they had gotten there, however, Duo spoke up. "Do you know who that is at the door?"

"Yeah," Heero replied. "He was in the front row of computers. Third from the right."

"Right…" Duo said sarcastically. "Stupid question, I guess." He parked and everyone got out. They all went to the door. "What do you need?" the guard asked politely.

"We need to get inside," Heero said impatiently.

"I'm sorry, but we can't just–" The man stopped suddenly. He reached up and pressed a button on his ear piece. "Yes? …Okay." He turned back to the group. "I apologize, Miss Darlian." The door opened and Heero, Relena, and Duo went inside.

Heero practically ran into the room with Duo and Relena behind him. Sally stood up. "Is something wrong?"

"Get a hold of Lady Une," Heero replied.

"Alright." Without needing to question him, she pressed a few buttons and Lady Une's face appeared on the screen. "Yes? What do you–"

"What the hell were you thinking?" Heero said, cutting her off.

Lady Une sighed. "Look, the President wants to know everything that we know. I simply told him that I had gotten a hold of a reliable source who knew she was okay."

"Why did you even bother telling him?"

"He's the one who approves our funding! I think he deserves to know. I didn't tell him everything, and I sure as hell didn't think he'd hold a press conference and announce this information to the people!"

"Relena isn't safe now! We'll need to move her somewhere else."

Relena cut them off. "Stop! This morning, Dorothy said that my 'kidnapper' had gone to the moon. Now that the people also know I'm safe, they will go there to look for me, not this colony."

"What about that cop?" Heero said.

"Wait, what cop?" Lady Une asked.

Relena calmly took in a breath and exhaled. "Earlier today a police officer pulled Duo over. I told him who I was so that he would leave us without putting anything on record."

"Relena…" Lady Une paused. "I believe we have some influence in the police forces in this group of colonies. Did you get his badge number?"

"7258," Heero answered.

"Good. I'll have my people keep an eye on him. Is everyone up there?"

"Yeah," Duo replied. "Trowa's troupe is performing and Quatre's here helping to build a hospital."

"With all five of you in one place, you're sure to draw attention. Even with your covers, the longer you're up there, the more dangerous it's going to get. We have to move fast. How are things going with you?" She directed the last question to Sally and Wufei.

Sally leaned back in her chair. "Not all that well. Since we have the restaurant's name and location, we've been able to… 'find' the names of all of the staff. We've been checking everything we have on them. It's not a long list, but we're also checking relatives that were alive in A.C. 195."

"How long will it take?" Lady Une asked.

Sally frowned. "I don't know. We still have ten staff members to go, not to mention the owners."

"You can't work any faster?" Heero interrupted.

Sally turned to him. "Look, someone in that restaurant is involved in this, or knows someone who is. We have to look over all of the information we have. It's not something that can be done in a couple of hours. When Relena returns to Earth, I want to make sure this won't happen again."

Lady Une cut in. "Work as fast as you can. As for you, Relena, has anyone tried to hurt you?"

"I'm fine." _It is a bit nice to get away from all of my work for a few days. _Relena frowned. _I just wish it was under better circumstances._

"There haven't been any problems," Heero added.

"Good," Lady Une replied. "I have some things to take care of down here. Keep me informed about everything."

"Roger," Sally replied.

"Lady Une out."

Wufei stood. "What is wrong with you? We've spent all this time trying to keep you hidden and you and you take off everything for a damn cop?"

Heero put his hand out to stop Wufei from getting to Relena. "What's done is done. You heard Une; this is going to be taken care of. All of it."

Wufei sat back down in his chair and turned away, folding his arms. "Look, it's getting late," Duo said. "Let's get going. We'll come back if there's anything we need."

"Fine," Wufei replied shortly.

"Just be careful," Sally said. "We'll take care of everything as quickly as we can."

"Thanks. See ya guys."

Relena, Heero, and Duo all went back to Duo's car. As they got in, both men heard Relena's stomach growl. She blushed. "Well, I guess we should just go back to the hotel, then."

"Hey, why bother?" Duo asked. "I know of this great Italian place not too far. We could stop there before I take you two back."

--

The group walked into the restaurant. "Well, soft music, not too crowded," Duo said. "You guys should like it here."

"Yes," Relena said. "It's lovely."

Duo turned to her and put a finger to his lips. "You're deaf, remember?" he whispered.

Relena blushed again. 'You're right. I forgot.'

They walked up to the hostess. She looked rather bored. "Hi. Three people?"

"Yes," Heero answered quickly.

"Any preference where to sit?" She sounded as if she was reading aloud from a piece of paper in front of her.

Heero turned to Relena. 'A booth would be nice.'

"We'll take a booth."

"Right this way." The hostess led them to their table. Relena sat down first and slid over as Heero sat next to her. Duo sat opposite of them. The hostess put down their menus and walked away quickly.

It wasn't long before a waitress came up. "Welcome! My name is Pearl and I'll be taking care of you today. Can I start you off with a drink?"

'I'd like some tea.'

"My… wife would–"

"Tea, right? What about you, sir?"

"Just some ice water."

She turned to Duo. "And you?"

Duo sat back, smiling. "I'll have some sake."

"Duo, you're driving."

"Oh, come on Heero. You act like I have no self control when it comes to drinking." Heero just stared at Duo. He sighed. "Fine. I'll have some… I don't know… ginger ale, I guess."

"Coming right up!" The waitress smiled as she walked away.

Duo folded his arms and leaned over against the table. "So, what do you want to do now?"

"Well, I still need to get that equipment for the laptop," Heero began. "And I'll have to hack into the police force's network to keep an eye on the cop's schedule. But, that can be taken care of tomorrow. We also need to find out who is after Relena."

Relena kept her voice low. "What about the Preventers?"

Heero frowned. "They're taking their time figuring this out. I'm not going to sit around and wait."

"Yeah," Duo added. "Heero couldn't sit by while his love is in danger."

Before Heero could reply, their waitress came up with the drinks and a basket of bread. She put glasses in front of the boys and put a cup on the table. She filled it, passed it to Relena, and put the teacup and bread on the table in front of her. "Are you ready?"

All three took turns looking at each other. "Well, I guess we need a little more time," Duo said.

"That's fine. I'll come back when you're ready." She walked away.

They all looked over their menus silently. Duo was finally the first to speak. "Well, this is new. It looks good. Too bad I don't know how to pronounce it."

"Which one?" Relena whispered. He pointed to it on her menu. "It's prosciutto. And that's orecchiette pasta."

"Okay…" Duo still sounded unsure.

Relena smiled and turned to Heero. "Do you know what you're getting?"

"Yeah," he said without looking up from the menu.

"Okay then. We're all ready."

Heero flagged down the waitress. She hurriedly came over. "So, you've decided what you'd like?"

Duo looked at his menu. "Yeah, I'll have the chicken pro… uh… that thing." He pointed it out to the waitress.

"Oh, the chicken prosciutto," she said easily. Duo sighed. "What about you two?" she continued.

Heero looked to Relena. 'A chicken Caesar salad.'

"Alright. And you?"

"Steak with capellini."

"How would you like your steak cooked?"

"Medium-rare."

The waitress closed her notepad. "It'll be out in a few minutes. Let me know if you need refills on your drinks!" She walked away, heading to the kitchen.

Duo smiled. "Well, well, well. Heero orders steak. What a surprise."

"Shut up, Duo."

"I'm just saying that you ought to try something new."

Heero folded his arms silently. "How is Hilde doing?" Relena whispered.

"She's fine, as always. She's been asking about you though. She really wants to see you."

"Maybe you could bring her by tomorrow. I'd like to speak to her too."

"Really? What about?"

"Oh, just girl stuff. You wouldn't understand."

"Let me guess… teddy bears?"

Relena pretended to giggle. "Yup. That's it."

Duo grinned. "I got Hilde a big white one for her birthday. She wouldn't stop talking about it."

Relena looked at Heero and put a hand on his knee. He looked at her, surprised. "I know how she feels."

"Well, should I leave you two alone for a minute?" Duo teased. Heero looked down, avoiding Relena.

At this point the waitress came back with two glasses in her hands. She placed them in front of Heero and Duo before taking the others, which were now empty. "Your orders are just about finished." She smiled and walked away.

Relena poured more tea into her cup and took a sip. "Well, what should we do tomorrow?"

"I think you should lay low for a bit," Heero replied. "I know no one can recognize you, but I don't like giving them a chance."

Relena nodded slowly. "Okay, I understand. What about you?"

"I'll be staying with you. Duo, you need to get the others together and give me a call. We didn't get to stop and see Quatre or Trowa, and I want to know what they've found so far."

Duo nodded. "No problem."

"Before I forget…" Heero opened his wallet. He took some money and the receipt for the rings. "Relena, do you have a pen?"

Relena nodded. She looked through her purse for a moment before pulling one out and handing it to him. "Here you are."

"Thanks." Heero scribbled something down on the back of the receipt. He handed it and the money to Duo. "That's what I need for the computer, and that money should cover it." He handed the pen back to Relena.

Duo put both in his pocket. "Okay. I'll get this stuff first thing in the morning and then me and Hilde will come by."

Their waitress came up holding two plates and a large bowl. "Okay. Caesar salad. Steak with capellini, steak cooked medium-rare. Chicken prosciutto." Without waiting for any of them to do anything, she put the plates down in front of their respective patrons. "Enjoy your meal!"

The waitress left and all three began eating. After a moment, Duo looked at Heero and Relena. "So, how is it?"

"This is wonderful. I'm glad you brought us here." Relena smiled.

"It's good," Heero replied.

"See? I knew you two would like it."

"Hm." Heero tried putting another bit of capellini in his mouth but it slipped off of his fork. It landed on his green shirt, then jeans, then the floor. He sighed. "Damnit…"

Relena immediately grabbed a napkin. "Here, turn to me."

"What…?" Heero's voice trailed off as Relena stuck a hand under his shirt. She pushed it out to get as much of the sauce off as she could without shoving the shirt against his skin and getting him even more wet.

After a moment, Relena put the napkin on the table, grabbed a new one, and started wiping off the sauce from Heero's jeans. They both blushed a little as she worked. "Um… well, that's as much as I can get out. The sauce stained almost all of your clothing."

"Thanks…" They both resumed eating, now in silence. Duo grinned, but Heero glared at him before he could comment.

--

Heero opened the door to their room and let Relena in before him. He closed the door. "I didn't think we'd be out so late."

"And I'm surprised you let me go out to a restaurant, Heero." She smiled at him.

"Well, the only time you spoke was to us, so we didn't have to worry about your voice. Besides, neither of us had eaten since breakfast."

"You know, you didn't look at me much during our meal. You're not even looking at me now." Heero didn't reply. "…I am sorry I couldn't get more sauce out of your clothes. I can take them down to the laundromat tomorrow."

Heero paused. "We should just get some sleep. We can worry about it later." As usual, he kicked off his shoes and pulled off his shirt before sitting down on the bed. This time he also pulled off his pants, keeping on only his boxers.

Relena hesitantly sat down next to him. They both looked at the ground, silent for a moment. She finally spoke up. "Heero, you're mad at me for what I did with the officer, aren't you?"

He'd been so rushed today that he didn't get a chance to stop and think about it before they went out to eat. He sighed. "Relena… I could never be mad at you," he said, as tenderly as he could. "I just wish you had let us handle it."

"Heero, I won't apologize," she responded softly. "If I hadn't come out to him, Duo could be in trouble right now. I know the five of you can't draw attention to yourselves, and I was right: if my cover is blown, all of us will be in danger."

Heero laid back onto the bed with his legs still over the edge. "Relena–" He was cut off as Relena leaned down to kiss him. He put a finger on her lips. "Not tonight."

"I never said I wanted to." She gently pushed his hand away and kissed him. Once again, he was hesitant to return the kiss. "Should we get some sleep now, Heero?"

"Yeah. It's late," he replied. They both put their heads on the pillow and Heero drew the blanket over them. Relena snuggled up against him. The sound of his heartbeat was enough to put her fast asleep.

Heero, however, couldn't sleep that easily. His mind kept wandering to what had happened recently. He shook his head and looked over to Relena. "No matter what happens," he whispered, "I'll protect you." He closed his eyes and focused on getting some rest.

Just as Heero was about to fall asleep, he heard a faint clicking sound. It was followed by three soft beats, and when he heard them, he opened his eyes. After a few seconds, he heard both sounds again, this time a little louder. He sat straight up, waking Relena. "Heero…?" she asked groggily.

"We're leaving. Now."

"What's wrong?"

"Come on. We don't have time."

Relena noticed how troubled he looked, and the fact that he was rushing her meant something wasn't right. "Okay."

Heero went to the door. He put a hand on the handle but stopped himself. "No. We're better off opening the window." As he went back, they both heard beeps again. It was just as loud as before, but there were more than three in succession. "Damn!" He threw open the window and practically pushed Relena out. "Go! Start running!"

"Okay…" As she ran, she looked back behind her. Heero was just stepping out of the window when her eyes were blinded by a sudden light. She recognized the sound of an explosion and realized that what they had heard before was a bomb.

Heero was thrown forward by the force of the blast and landed several feet past Relena. "Heero!" She ran to him. He was lying on his stomach and she could see how badly burned he was already. What was worse was that his back was covered in blood. "Heero! No!" she exclaimed. She knelt down beside him, eyes filling with tears. "Heero! Please, try to stand up, Heero!"

Heero grunted and slowly pushed himself up on his hands and knees. "Relena…"

"Heero! Don't worry; I'll get you some help." She leaned over to try and help him up when he grabbed her arm suddenly. "Relena…"

"What is it, Heero?"

"… It is true."

Relena paused. It took her a moment before she realized that he was talking about the conversation they'd had that morning. She didn't have time to reply as he fell into her arms, eyes closed. She burst into tears. "Heero… HEERO!"


	8. Chapter 7

As best she could, Relena helped Heero up and wrapped an arm carefully around her shoulder. She knew she was too weak to carry him, and so this was the best thing she could do. Even though he was barely conscious, any time Relena put her hand on Heero's back he would grimace. They moved so slowly and carefully that by the time they reached the front of the building fire trucks and ambulances were already there. A crowd had gathered, staring at the fire in horror.

A person in the crowd spotted the two as the made their way to the front. "Over there! Someone needs help!" A paramedic looked over and immediately ran over to them. "What's wrong?"

Through her tears, Relena managed to reply, "His body… it's burned…"

"Ma'am, are you okay?"

Relena answered immediately, almost cutting him off. "Yes, I'm fine, just help Heero!"

Together, they brought Heero to an ambulance. An older paramedic helped the younger one get Heero into the ambulance. Relena was about to climb in when the younger man stopped her. "I'm sorry, but we have a lot we need to do. We can't have you in the ambulance, but you're free to follow us to the hospital."

Relena paused. "You haven't recognized me yet? My name is Relena Darlian... and I have to be with him right now."

"Vice Foreign Minister Darlian?" He looked to his partner.

The older man sighed. "Damnit… just get in."

Relena climbed in as quickly as she could. She hated using her title like this, but she felt she needed to be with Heero now.

A couple of other paramedics climbed in and Relena could tell that they weren't happy about the loss of space. "Make room," the older man snapped. She looked over at him sadly. "I'm sorry, but he needs me."

"He needs medical attention, not his girlfriend whining about him." The older man turned to the other paramedics. "Quit staring and do your damn job!"

Relena didn't want to get into a fight with him, so she turned her attention to Heero. He was lying on his stomach so many of his wounds could start being treated immediately. His head lay to the side facing her. She touched his hand and he barely opened his eyes. "Relena…"

Tears flooded her eyes again. "Heero… don't try to talk. You're getting help."

He didn't respond. She heard someone else say, "He's fading in and out of consciousness. There isn't much we can do until we get to the hospital."

The older man sighed. "That doesn't mean we get to sit back and relax. Keep working."

"Where am…?" Heero managed to ask.

Relena immediately looked down at him while she tried to stay calm. "You're in an ambulance. We're headed to the hospital. You were badly burned because of a bomb."

"We should…" His voice trailed off.

"Come on, Heero, please. Stay with me!"

For the rest of the trip, the paramedics treated his wounds as best they could while Relena talked to him. It felt like hours before they finally reached their destination. Everyone climbed out, helped get Heero out, and ran into the hospital; somehow, Relena managed to stay by his side. The older man practically shouted at anyone who was in the way to move. As Heero's stretcher was pushed through one set of doors, he stopped and faced Relena. "I don't care if you're the President of the Earth Sphere. No one except the staff is allowed in here. Got it?"

Relena slowly nodded. "Okay." Satisfied, he pushed opened the doors and ran to catch up with the others, leaving her standing alone in the hallway.

--

Heero slowly opened his eyes. He was lying in a bed, with IVs attached to his arms and several machines sitting around him. It was somewhat like the condition he first found Relena in. He tried hard to concentrate, to remember what had happened before. He remembered going to bed with her… and nothing after that.

A nurse was just about to walk out when she heard him groan. She turned around. She had black hair that came down to her shoulders and violet eyes. She grinned when she saw him. "Awake so soon, I see." She glanced at a clock above Heero as she walked over to him. "You weren't supposed to survive from your injuries, much less wake up in sixty-one hours." She put her hand on his abdomen. That's when he realized that, besides the bandages, his chest was bare. "Of course, I knew you would survive when you first came in. They started to clean off the dead skin and you didn't scream like every other patient… you just gritted your teeth and took it. You fought so hard to stay awake then. The doctors are surprised you aren't even in a coma right now… but I'm not." She began running her hand up and down his chest.

Heero grabbed the nurse's hand. "What about my back?" he asked, his voice sounding weak and tired.

The nurse slipped her hand out of Heero's grasp. "It's fine. The doctor put you on morphine so you wouldn't feel any pain. Now I think we should go ahead and drop the subject." She leaned down and as she grabbed his hand, she kissed him. Without breaking the kiss she brought his hand to her cheek, then dragged it down her neck and collarbone. When it reached the top of her chest, Heero pushed her off of him.

The nurse straightened herself, a flash of anger running across her eyes. She quickly calmed down. "Hm. Let me guess. You're with that Relena girl, right? I wouldn't waste my time. It's not like she would have any for you. Besides, from what I've seen, she couldn't handle you like I could. Like a real woman could." The nurse walked out, brushing a hand against Heero's thigh as she left.

Sighing, Heero struggled to get up. Almost immediately he saw Relena at the far end of the hallway. Microphones were stuck in her face and every second a flash went off. After a moment, she turned and saw him.

--

"Miss Darlian, how long do you plan on staying at the hospital with your kidnapper?"

"First of all, he is not my kidnapper. He saved my life back on Earth, and I plan on staying here as long as he is."

"Why did you come to the colony in the first place? Does it have anything to do with the recent attempts on your life?"

Relena paused. What would she say? If she told the truth, people on Earth would be in a frenzy, madly searching for these people. "I've come…" She turned and noticed that Heero was awake and sitting up in his hospital bed. "… I can't divulge that information, and I can't answer any more questions. Have a good day." She ran into his room, and although the reporters tried to follow her, security stopped them.

Relena ran to Heero and resisted the urge to climb onto his bed with him. She instead clasped his hands and kissed his forehead. "How are you feeling? Is everything okay?"

Heero practically cut her off. "I'm fine, don't worry. How are you doing?"

She smiled. It seemed like he would never let her worry about him. "The doctors have already checked me out. I'm okay."

Heero slowly lay back down on the bed and let out a sigh. "Good."

Relena leaned over and stroked his hair gently. "I'm glad you're feeling better. That means you can go back to protecting me, right?" She was less concerned about her safety than she was about Heero's health.

"Yeah," he replied.

"I'm glad." She smiled. "There are a few other people in the waiting room who will be just as happy, I think."

"Let me guess: the other four?"

"That's right. I'll go get them."

As she turned to leave, Heero grabbed her hand. "Wait... There's one other thing I wanted to talk to you about." He took a breath. "Do you know whether or not you are pregnant?"

Relena's smile disappeared as she walked back to him. "...No, I don't know. I was tested by the doctor, but he says the results aren't back yet…. That's actually what I talked to Hilde about."

Heero folded his arms. "This isn't good," he muttered.

Relena paused and stared at him in shock. "What do you mean, 'This isn't good?' The Perfect Soldier is able to kill hundreds in a war but couldn't handle being a father, is that it? What, you couldn't change a diaper or rock her to sleep? How can you say something like that, Heero Yuy?!" Heero raised a hand and Relena squeezed her eyes shut, sucking in a breath. She expected him to slap her. Instead, he gently placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her. She practically collapsed onto the bed. "You're in danger. I don't want you to have to worry about a child while you worry about staying safe."

Relena sighed, relieved. _Typical man._ "I would worry about a child no matter what the situation, Heero. I'm also running a country, so I usually do have to worry about staying safe." She paused again, trying to smile. "And, I apologize for snapping like that. These last few days have been a bit stressful; I think you understand."

"Yeah," he said, frowning. "So, the others are here?"

"Yes. Would you like me to get them?"

"Yeah," he repeated. "I need to talk to them."

Relena nodded slowly and got up, turning to leave. _All about me, no doubt._ She hated being the subject of their 'discussions', and hated even more knowing Heero was going to keep her out of it.

Relena stepped out into the hallway. Unsurprisingly, few reporters had even moved while she was in the room with Heero. Once again, she was barraged with cameras and questions and, once again, security had to stop them from chasing her down. "I'm sorry, but I have nothing more to say."

Relena finally made her way to the waiting room. _There are a lot less people inside now._ An elderly couple sat by the door. They were holding each other and both looked nervous. A violet-eyed nurse was starting to walk in with a man in a dark business suit. While a clipboard was in her right hand, her left was wrapped around his waist. The man looked bored; he did speak but refused to make eye contact.

In another corner sat four boys whom Relena immediately recognized. She went over to them, smiling. "Heero's awake. He said he wanted to speak to all of you."

Quatre looked at his watch. "Sixty-two hours? Well, that's Heero."

Trowa smirked. "I'm sure the doctors are still trying to figure it out."

Quatre laughed. "I'll bet." He turned to Relena. "Heero hasn't moved?"

She shook her head. "No. He's still in room 204."

"Alright." With that, Quatre led the group down the hallway. Relena, meanwhile, sat down, lost in thought. _What now? All of this time spent sneaking around and still I was found. And Heero was nearly killed…_ She looked down at her ring. _There must be something I can do for him._

--

Heero struggled to sit up in the bed. "We've got to find someplace safe for Relena."

"Of course we do," Wufei muttered.

"What?" Heero challenged.

This time Wufei shouted. "I said, 'Of course we do'! For weeks the Preventers have had to chase our tails, following up on every pointless lead. Everyone has seen someone who's seen someone having lunch with someone whose cousin has threatened Relena. The fact that Une imposes a fine for filing a false report doesn't seem to faze these morons!"

"Wufei, please, calm down." Quatre put a hand on his shoulder. He tried to shake it off, but Quatre held on surprisingly firmly. "We all agree that Miss Relena is in danger. That's the reason we are here. So, we all need to start doing something proactive to help."

Duo leaned back in a chair. "Yeah, but what? We've all been in the colony for days now, all trying to keep an eye on Relena, and someone has still found and tried to kill her. What's worse, we don't even know who this guy is."

"Or group," Quatre added. "You told us what happened on Earth. There has to be more than one person behind this."

"What if we help?" Trowa had folded his arms, leaning against the back wall. "Wufei, you mentioned the Preventers are getting a lot of calls. We could help follow up on these reports. We might get some information, and this would split us up. This assassin would get another chance to catch Relena, so we would get another chance to catch him or her."

"No!" Heero slammed his fist against the bed. "You're suggesting using Relena as bait! I won't let her get hurt like that!"

"I'm not saying that all five of us leave the colony, and I know Relena can't go back to the Sanc Kingdom. The assassin was arrogant enough to attack while she was with a Gundam pilot, so I'm sure that won't change. This time, however, the pilot will be prepared."

"It isn't a bad idea," Quatre slowly added. "We would be able to accomplish a lot in little time. Who knows, these reports might actually lead to something."

"And if we can capture this assassin," Duo said. "We might even figure out who is behind all of this."

The room was silent for what seemed like hours. "Fine," Heero finally relented. "But I'm staying on the colony, no matter where the four of you go."

Quatre turned back to Wufei. "All you would need to do is clear it with Miss Une. Can you do that, Wufei?"

"Yeah," Wufei replied simply. "I still don't see what good this will do the five of us."

Quatre smiled. "Let's just get to Miss Une first; then we'll go from there." He turned to Heero. "Get well soon, Heero. Relena needs you."

Trowa looked over at Heero and nodded, smiling shortly.

Duo came up and patted Heero's shoulder. "Take care, old buddy. If you need anything, I'm sure Hilde will take care of it. I might even drop in if I get a chance."

"Hm," was the only thing Wufei added to everyone's farewells before he pushed open the doors and walked out. Quatre sighed and shook his head before the other three followed Wufei out.

Heero lay back in his bed and closed his eyes. He took in a long breath through his nose, held it for just a second, and finally blew it out of his mouth. He'd found it was an easy way to relax. He did this a couple more times before the door opened again and Relena walked in. He opened his eyes. "Relena."

"Hi, Heero. I noticed the others leaving, so I thought I would come in again… if you want to rest, then–"

"No. You can stay."

Relena smiled and walked over to his bed. Her smile disappeared slowly as she asked, "I said good-bye to everyone as they left, but Wufei didn't even look at me. Is he mad at me for something?"

Heero took Relena's hand in his. "Of course not. He's only angry about the decisions we've been making so far… and work with the Preventers has put him under a lot of stress."

Her smile returned, but Relena still didn't feel convinced. Before she could say anything, the violet-eyed nurse walked in. She stopped, surprised to see Relena in the room. "Oh, my mistake. I thought everyone had left. Well… Mr. Yuy and I have a couple of things to take care of, and I'd appreciate it if you stayed back in the waiting room."

Relena nodded. "Alright." She turned and kissed Heero's cheek. "I'll be right outside."

Heero felt uneasy to be alone with this nurse, but he knew that whatever happened, he could take care of himself. As Relena closed the door, he sighed. "What now?"

The nurse giggled. "My oh my. Could you have picked anyone more naïve? Don't worry; it doesn't even matter." She pulled a syringe out of a pocket in her coat. "Just get some sleep, 'Mr. Yuy'." She injected the contents of the syringe into Heero's IV, and the last thing he saw before his eyes closed was her smile.

--

Relena slowly walked down the hall into the waiting room. _Is Heero even telling me the whole story now? How long have I known the five of them, and yet they still want to keep me shielded._ The secrets didn't anger Relena as much as they did hurt her.

As she walked into the waiting room, Relena noticed only one man sitting down. It was a bit odd, considering that this was a hospital. He was wearing a light brown suit with a tie in a darker shade of brown. As soon as he saw Relena he stood. "Miss Darlian?" The question seemed to be asked to get her attention, rather than confirm who she was.

Relena walked over to him. "Yes?"

He immediately opened up a briefcase, pulled out an envelope, and handed it to her. "Since you seem to have no permanent address at the moment, I was instructed to give this to you personally. Have a good day." The man closed his briefcase and briskly walked out of the room.

Relena was a bit confused by the man's actions, but nonetheless opened the envelope. She pulled out the papers and unfolded them. As she read over them, her eyes suddenly widened. "I don't… I don't believe this!"

--

See? I'm not dead. And I'm not gonna let this fic die, either. It's just that writer's block sucks and real life sucks worse. But, I think you won't have to wait ten months for the next chapter. Well, think.


End file.
